What Caught My Eye Today

Peace - For years, former Vice President Al Gore and a host of climate scientists were belittled and, worst of all, ignored for their message about how dire global warming is. Today they were awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for their warnings about what Gore calls "a planetary emergency." Gore shared the prize with the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, a United Nations network of scientists. Scientists and Nobel committee members said it was not a stretch to award the Peace Prize to Gore and the scientists. Studies by national security experts say a hotter world with changes in water and food supply can lead to wars and terrorism. In announcing the award earlier in the day in Oslo, Norway, Nobel committee chairman Ole Danbolt Mjoes said the prize was not a slap at the Bush administration's current policies. Instead, he said it was about encouraging all countries "to think again and to say what can they do to conquer global warming." Yeah sure, whatever you say, sparkplug. It's a total dig. Don't get me wrong, I agree with you. I'm just saying don't go and mess up a perfectly good dig by backpedaling.

Russia - Russian President Vladimir Putin warned President Bush's top two Cabinet officials to back off U.S. missile defense plans for eastern Europe as high-level talks yielded little more than a pledge to meet again. Despite presenting new cooperation proposals intended to bring Moscow on board, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and Defense Secretary Robert Gates failed in a series of tough meetings to turn around Moscow's opposition to the system and other strategic issues. Putin set the tone early on when he hosted Rice and Gates and their Russian counterparts at his country home outside Moscow and delivered a stern rebuff to U.S. plans to push ahead with establishing missile defense facilities in Poland and the Czech Republic. The United States has repeatedly rejected Russian demands to freeze U.S. negotiations with Poland and the Czech Republic and Rice did so again today. I so did not see this coming. Here I am thinking 'everything is everything' with Russia. Wow, you never can tell about these things, can you?

Too much sarcasm? It's hard to tell sometimes whether you've applied just the right amount. Let's see how I do on this next item.

Myanmar - Myanmar's military junta rejected a U.N. statement calling for negotiations with the opposition, insisting that it would follow its own plan to bring democracy to the country. State-run TV and radio issued a statement Friday arguing that conditions inside Myanmar — a reference to the anti-government protests that were violently suppressed by troops on Sept. 26 and 27 — were not the concern of the outside world. "Myanmar's current situation does not affect regional and international stability. "However, we deeply regret that the U.N. Security Council has issued a statement contrary to the people's desires. The government of Myanmar will continue to implement the seven-step roadmap together with the people," the statement said, referring to the junta's plan that promises a new constitution and an eventual transition to democratic rule. The process is supposed to culminate in a general election at an unspecified date in the future. But so far only the first stage — drawing up guidelines for a new constitution — has been completed, and critics say the convention that drafted them was stage-managed by the military. Whoa, hold the phone! Myanmar rejected the non-binding U.N. Statement? Dude, no way. The junta seem like such good boys. I never would have suspected.

Okay, if that's still a tad excessive, the following snippet doesn't need much help from me.

Britney Spears - Evidently preoccupied with other matters, Britney Spears co-wrote just two of the 12 songs on her upcoming album. "Blackout," her first album in more than four years, comes out at the end of the month. The street date was moved up two weeks because some tracks have been leaked online. While pop singers of Spears' ilk usually leave the songwriting to the pros, she was credited on seven of the songs on 2003's "In the Zone," and five on 2001's "Britney." For the current project, Spears enlisted 23 songwriters. Maybe she should have spend some of her dough on some dance lessons instead of all those songwriters. Maybe then, that disaster at the MTV Video Music Awards could have been avoided.

Finally, here's one where the Associated Press has done all the work for me...

Boxing - The once great Evander Holyfield will step into the boxing ring in Moscow tomorrow night bidding to make history by claiming a share of the heavyweight world title for the fifth time. At almost 45 years of age, if he were to succeed in his WBO title challenge to Russian Sultan Ibragimov, Holyfield would also become the second oldest heavyweight champion of all time. Ibragimov is 13 years Holyfield's junior, he's the newly crowned champion and boasts a record of 21 victories with 17 knock-outs one draw and no defeats. Rightly so, few are giving Holyfield a chance, and should he win, some are even suggesting it would be an embarrassment for the heavyweight division. Holyfield's trainer has warned against underestimating his man saying, "He's tough. He's experienced. He's a good boxer. He's the guy who put guys on their asses. Some guys have been losing to guys that Holyfield put on their asses. You got to realise this." Sadly, Holyfield too needs to realise that it is time to say goodbye, and maybe a devastating defeat to Ibragimov will convince him.

Ouch, that's harsh.